Mail-box sttppoet



1. B. SENSENBAUGH.

MAIL BOX SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1919.

1,326,791. Patented Dec. 30, 1919-.

amuenl oz attoimu,

I. B. SENSENBAUGH.

MAIL BOX SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1919.

1,326,791. Patented D60..3O,1919.

2 sHEE Ts-sHEEr 2 0 awwwytoz UNITED s'rnrns PATENT oFFioE.

JAMES B. SENSENBAUGH, OF MARSHALLTOWN ,IOWA.

MAIL-BOX SUPPORT.

Application filed May 24, 1919. Serial N 0,299,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. SENSEN- BAUGH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Box Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide means for supporting a mail box ofthe type ordinarily employed in connection with the rural route mail service under such conditions as to provide for the normal arrangement of a box in an inconspicuous and unobstructive position at one side of the road and of the line thereof, within the limits of the property of the party to whom the box is assigned and whose mail is to be deposited therein, and at the same time is adapted to be extended when required to occupy a position near or above the road traversed by the mail carrier and within easy reach of such carrier without vdismounting or leaving his vehicle, for the purpose of removing or depositing mail matter therein, so that whereas the ofiicial may at any time reach the box in the discharge of his duties without inconvenience or loss of time, the box does not serve as an obstruction to the road and an obstacle in the way of other vehicles or to workmen in repairing the road, and may have the mail deposited therein or removed therefrom by the resident without leaving his property or invading the line of travel of vehicles or crossing the gutter or ditch which on country roads may usually be found at the side of the roadway and between the same and the abutting property.

With this and analogous objects in view as will appear in the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same consists in a construction, combination and relation of parts illustrated in connection herewith, it being understood that changes in form and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the claims without departing from the principles involved.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail box supporting apparatus constructed in accordance with th invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof showing in full lines the retracted and in dotted lines or introduction of mail matter.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 30, 1919.

the extended element.

Supported by a suitable framework including the posts or standards and 11 is a rock shaft12 to which is attached a mail box carrying arm 13adapted for movement through an arm from the positionsindicated by full lines in Figs. land 3 to that shown in dotted lines in the same figures, a conventional mail box 14 having a hinged cover or closure 15 being carried by the free end of said arm. i i V The rock shaft is provided with a cam 16 constructed, for example, in the form of a spiral slot in which operates a pin 17 carried by a bifurcation 18 at th' upper end of an operating lever 19 which is fulcrumed as at 20,upon a bracket 21 supported by one of the'posts or standards, so that by swinglng the'lower end of the lever in the direction "indicated by the dartc in Fig. 1, the cam connection between its upper end and the rock shaft will cause the movement of the latter and hence the carrying of the box supporting arm 13 from the normal position shown in full lines in Fig. l to the extended position shown in dotted lines, a spring 22 being connected with th lever to return the latter when released to its normal position and hence retract the mail box by swinging the arm 13 to its original position.

Carried by the mail box carrying arm and in pivotal relation therewith is a trip lever 23 flexibly connected as by a wire or cord 24 to the lid or cover 15 of the mail box, and arranged in th path of said trip arm, when the carrier arm 13 is moved to its extended position is a stop 25 constructed of heavy wire or rod supported by the post 10, so that as the carrier arm approaches its extended position indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 the engagement of the trip arm with the stop will cause the opening of the door or closure of the mail box so as to expose the interior thereof to facilitate the removal The trip arm is preferably of angular construction as indicated, being mounted in a bearing 26 on the carrier arm, so that as the latter is returned to its normal position, the weight of the trip arm will effect the closing of the mail box, although obviously supplemental means for effecting this object may be employed if desired.

Various means may be employed for oppositions of the box carrying erating the lever to cause the swinging move ment of the box carrying arm from its retracted to its extended position and accessible from the roadway and hence to the mail carrier, but as illustrated, the same consists of a cable 27 extending through a pipe or guiding tube 28 from a point near the free end of said lever 19 to a point near but suificiently above the road to be out of the way, a grip or ring 29 being employed as a means of enabling the mail carrier to operate the mechanism.

The invention having been described What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A mail box supporthaving a swinging arm, a mail box carried by said arm and having a movable cover or closure, yielding means for maintaining said arm in its normal position, actuating devices for swinging the arm to bring the mail box into an accessible position, a trip lever carried by the arm and operatively connected with the door or closure of the box, and a stop arranged in the path of the trip arm for engagement thereby as the box reaches its accessible position.

2. A mail box support having a rock shaft and a mail box carrying arm sup ported thereby, means for yieldingly holding said arm in a retracted position, an op- 8. A mail box support having a rock shaft, a mail box carrying arm supported thereby, an operating lever, yleldlng means for holding the said lever in its normal position, a guide pin on the lever in operative relation with a spiral cam on said rock shaft for turningthe latterto move said arm from a retracted to an extended position, and means for actuating said lever in opposition to said spring.

a. A mail box support having uprights, a rock shaft mounted in bearings on the uprights, a carrier arm supported by the rock shaft, a mail box mounted upon the carrier arm and having a movable door or closure, an operating lever having a cam relation with said rock shaft for imparting rotary movement thereto, a pivotal trip arm mounted upon the carrier arm and operatively connected with the door or closure of the mail box, and a stationary stop in the path of said arm for engagement thereby as the carrier arm approaches one terminal of its movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES B. SENSENBAUGH. 

